Exclusive: Senate leaders give each other the silent treatment

Two weeks into the government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer are talking at each other through the media — but not to each other.Why it matters: Both see President Trump as the key to eventually unlocking real negotiations on health care."I don't think Schumer's negotiating on any of this," Thune (R-S.D.) said in a sit-down interview Thursday with Axios. "He's in a box. He's got all these groups coming in this weekend and a base that's unhappy and wants to see him fight Trump."Thune explained he didn't speak directly to Schumer to offer to vote by a certain day on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies — nor did he pitch his counterpart on passing a package of bipartisan funding bills.Schumer has held firm and repeatedly slammed Thune for being unwilling to negotiate. The two have not spoken this week, sources familiar with the matter tell us.Zoom in: Thune — who described himself as optimistic and "winsome and hopeful" on MSNBC — still sees a path to ending the shutdown through rank-and-file Democrats."There's a group of Democrats ... who've been meeting and communicating with members on our side," Thune told Axios, not naming names. "There have been several, sort of, offers exchanged." One such offer was for a vote guarantee on extending the ACA subsidies. Thune said he can't guarantee Democrats an outcome, but "you want a vote by date certain? We can do that.""I'm trying to do whatever I can to make it clear to them that if they want to vote on something, some proposal, we would be happy to make that happen," he said.Between the lines: Democrats insist they are justified in wanting assurances from the GOP that a health insurance bill will actually pass, not just receive a floor vote. And even Thune knows it will be a tough sell in his conference."The people who think these were COVID-era policies that ought to expire is the majority," Thune said of his Senate GOP conference."But there is a sufficient number of Republicans who, I think, would — with reforms — be supportive of at least doing something for some amount of time."What to watch: Democrats have been demanding guarantees from Trump on health care, and Thune expects the president to eventually enter the conversation."The key to all this will be what the White House decides they want to do," he said, but he said he does not expect that to happen until after the government is reopened."I don't think the president or his team are, you know, are ready to enter into that conversation until the hostage-taking ends," he said.The White House's political operation is telling congressional Republicans to hold firm on the government shutdown, citing internal and external polling that show Democrats' numbers are eroding, Axios' Marc Caputo reported.Thune has had direct conversations with the White House that another rescissions package might not be necessary if the new GOP-controlled Congress sends Trump the kind of appropriations packages he'd support. "If we're actually passing appropriations bills that both sides have had input into ... and that the president's willing to sign, you pretty much do away with the need for rescissions," he said.When asked about OMB Director Russ Vought's repeated threats to continue to claw back funds — as has already been done — Thune laughed. "I think everybody knows Russ Vought wants to do rescissions.""I just think the President makes a call on that, and I know his view on it," Thune said. "I think that the pocket rescissions issue is something ... they want to get a legal opinion on."Axios' Stephen Neukam contributed reporting.

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